*Alluminas - Master of Light, Lord of Enlightenment
*Description:
Alluminas, esoteric brother of Arianka and Solkan, embodies a pure, unchanging light
which renders anything it strikes unmoving and unchanging, and the idea of total
divine enlightenment. His worshippers are few in the Old World, but his centre of
worship lies in the far eastern states of Cathay and Nippon, where he has several
monastic orders, the Monks of the Light (or 'White Monks': you might like to use the
monk careers in the archives or just use the normal cleric careers as an
approximation). Nipponese worshippers know Alluminas as Annu-Minato.
Whether in the Old World or the far east, worshippers of Alluminas all share one
thing, the search for the Enlightenment which is oneness with their master. They
study the scriptures of Alluminas as set out in his holy book (the Alluminamus),
meditate to strive for oneness in spirit and follow the Fourfold Path: through
Thought, Meditation, Dedication and Understanding comes, ultimately, divine
Enlightenment.
*Alignment:
Lawful.
*Symbol:
Alluminas' chief symbol is that of a four spoked wheel, representing the Fourfold
Path. A less common symbol, but one more popular in the west, is that of a candle.
The White Monks wear white robes with the four spoked wheel embroidered in gold on
the left breast. Old World worshippers usually wear the symbol of the candle
somewhere on their clothes or carry an amulet bearing the symbol, but generally not in
plain sight.
*Area of Worship:
Alluminas has very few worshippers in the Old World and the vast majority of his cult
is made up of the White Monks of Cathay and Nippon, who know him as Annu-Minato and
whose monasteries can be found in the mountain foothills. Even in the far east,
however, he has relatively few followers and monasteries, due to the strength of the
cult of Tzeentch (the strongest of the chaos cults in Cathay and Nippon, where he is
known as Lord Tsien-Tsin). Alluminas also has a few followers who travel the world,
seeking out chaos, although little else is known of the 'Wanderers' (as the White
Monks call them).
*Temples:
Alluminas has no temples or public shrines in the Old World and worshippers generally
maintain shrines in their homes. In Cathay and Nippon, temples or shrines are built
as part of the monasteries. The White Monks have one head monastery (housing the main
temple) and a small number of smaller monasteries who maintain subsidiary temples or
shrines.
Whether small shrine or large temple, worship areas consecrated to Alluminas are
simple and uncluttered. The focus of the room is a wooden table, covered with a white
cloth which is often embroidered with one of Alluminas' symbols. On the table is a
candle, which must always remain lit - if it is allowed to go out then the
temple/shrine must be reconsecrated to Alluminas before it can be used again. Beside
the candle lies the Alluminamus.
*Friends and Enemies:
Alluminas has little to do with the majority of religions - their weak stance against
chaos makes them next to useless in the struggle against it and hence not worth his
attention. He is hostile to the gods of chaos (especially the traitorous Obscuras,
who turned away from law to rule over his own dark shadow realm) and has friendly
relations with the other law gods.
*Holy Days:
Alluminas' main holy days are the Spring equinox and Summer soltice, while the Autumn
equinox and Winter solstice are lesser holy days, as are days when Mannslieb is full.
Vigils are held on the nights when Morrslieb is full to ward off chaos.
*Cult Requirements:
Followers of Alluminas must be willing to seek the true path of enlightenment and
oppose chaos and change, regardless of the sacrifices they have to make.
*Strictures:
- Oppose chaos and change whereever and whenever it is found.
- Study the Alluminamus, spend at least six hours a day in meditation to Alluminas
and follow the Fourfold Path.
- Abstain from the consumption of alcohol or other drugs, and from sexual activity.
Such things divert the mind from the primary task of seeking enlightenment.
*Spell Use:
For spell use, the White Monks count as varying levels of cleric: Initiate monks get
no magic, full monks count as clerics of level 1 to 4 (depending on the monks
seniority) and the Abbot is always level four. Alluminas grants access to all petty
and battle magic spells, although they must get their gods' permission to use any
spell that causes large or permanent change (only granted in extremely rare cases).
*Hand of Light
Level 1, 5 MP, touch range, D6+3 turns duration
This spell causes the casters hand to glow with a soft light, which can be used as a
'weapon' in unarmed combat, although unarmed combat modifiers still apply. A
successful touch causes the location touched to become 'frozen' for D6 rounds if the
target fails a magic test. The location can be moved as a whole but not internally
(eg. a 'frozen' arm can be moved at the shoulder but can't be bent at the elbow).
This causes a -20 (or higher) penalty on all tests an affected limb attempts.
'Frozen' locations may still take damage as normal.
*Enlighten Mind
Level 2, 8 MPs, 36 yds range, D6 rounds duration
This spell causes the target to see mental images of the glory and wisdom of
Alluminas, with differing effects according to who/what it is cast upon.
- If the target is a follower of Alluminas, the images temporarily enhances his
search for enlightment, giving him +20 WP.
- Intelligent others (Int>10) feel compelled to study and understand the images, and
must pass a magic test for every action attempted (including moving, talking, etc.) to
do anything other than contemplate the images floating in their mind.
- Less intelligent others (Int<=10) have no capacity to understand the images but
cannot ignore them. They suffer -10 to WS, BS, I and WP, halved if a magic test is
passed.
*Remove Mutation
Level 3, 14 MPs, touch range, instantaneous
Based on the Cure Insanity spell of Shallya, this spell allows the caster to attempt
to remove one chaos atrribute from any one target on a single location touched. The
recipient of the spell must make a WP test, with a penalty equal to half the casters
WP. If this is successful, the spell has no effect. If the test is failed, however,
the location touched is removed of one chaos attribute. The attribute is not healed
but simply gone, leaving an open wound in most cases.
*Create Statue
Level 3, 14 MPs, touch range, 2D6 rounds duration
Casting this spell and touching a target causes the target to be 'frozen' in the
position they are in for 2D6 rounds on a failed magic test. The statue (which has a
toughness of 7 and is a prone target) still takes damage, and will appear to be
'chipped' or bits will break off as appropriate. When the spell expires, chipped
areas are equated to wound loss and bits broken off will remain detached (and dead),
leaving an open wound where the broken off part was. Should the statues head be
broken off, the target will be dead when the spell expires.
*LightBall
Level x, x MPs, 48 yds range, instantaneous
Essentially a magical missile version of Create Statue, this spell allows the caster
to throw a ball of pure white light at the target (within 48 yds), who will be hit
automatically. Please refer to the description of Create Statue for further details.
*Skills:
Initiates and initiate monks can and must buy Meditation skill at normal EP cost
before advancing to level one cleric or full monk status.
*Trials:
Trials to Alluminas usually involve long periods of meditation (a number of hours
equal to twice the characters' WP, say). Trials involving actively seeking out chaos
are less common, as they interrupt the quiet life that aids enlightenment. Other
possible trials include opposing some of the changes that characterise human society
and development (eg. opposing the clearing of a forest or the construction of a large
building).
*Blessings:
Alluminas is extremely selective as regards who he gives blessings, even more so than
other gods (I'd suggest he grants a blessing on a roll of 1-2 on D1000), and such
blessings are wondrous events, usually given only to Monks of the Light who have spent
years or decades in worshipping him. The most wondrous of the blessings Alluminas
will grant is the Call of the Ancestors, described below.
At the heart of each monastery, next to the temple or shrine to Alluminas, is the
Hall of the Ancestors. This great and wondrous place contains many statues, the
forever preserved bodies of those who have acheived total enlightenment and left the
confines of their mortal bodies to join Alluminas in his divine realm, the statues of
the Enlightened. Ocasionally, when a monk reaches a state of almost total
understanding, he feels the Call of the Ancestors and makes his way to the hall, where
he meditates before one of the holy statues. He enters an almost unbreakable holy
trance and his physical needs (food, drink, etc.) become ever smaller, until the monk
(after a long period of meditation) becomes perfectly Enlightened. He will be
commanded to take up his place with the other statues, and will then be struck by
Alluminas' heavenly light. His body will become frozen as it is, ever preserved, and
his spirit will join with Alluminas in his divine realm, becoming a Seraph: a lesser
demon of Alluminas, described further below.
*Seraphim
Seraphim (singular form Seraph, also called Angels of Light) are the lesser demons of
Alluminas, the ex-mortal servants (usually White Monks) of Alluminas who have acheived
total enlightenment and who Alluminas has given immortality. Of Alluminas' demons,
Seraphim are the ones most usually sent back to the material realm, especially when
the task involves conversing with mortals. Seraphim always appear similar to their
mortal form, retaining their mortal size, but gain wings (they fly as swoopers) and
their stats are given by taking the mortal stats and applying the following: S+2, T+2,
Wx2, I+20, A+2, WP+20.
Any magic a Seraph could cast while mortal it can now cast at no magic point cost and
all Seraphim have the ability to imitate the effects of any of Alluminas' special
spells at whim (no time need be spent to cast the spells). In addition, they can
choose to radiate a weak form of Alluminas' holy light (radius one yard). Chaos
creatures within range of the light must pass a WP test or be forced to either flee
from it or (in the case of demons) flee back to the warp, while other creatures are
affected as if by the Enlighten Mind spell (Alluminas followers: WP+20; intelligent
others: must pass WP test to perform any action, including moving and speaking;
cerebrally challenged others: -10 to WS, BS, I and WP unless a WP test is passed).
Seraphim cause fear in creatures under ten feet tall and all chaos creatures below
the rank of greater demon. They themselves are immune to all psychology except if
caused by a greater demon or god. They are immune to non-magical attacks and cause no
physical damage themselves. They generally avoid combat, but when forced into it they
use the Hand of Light or Create Statue spells.
A Seraph returning to the material world (usually only at the command of Alluminas or
to warn former colleagues of some grave threat) always appears similar to its' mortal
form. It may choose to appear with or without wings and radiating its' light or not
as it wishes.
* Heliaphim (based on an idea by Elvis(mbsimon@artsci.wustl.edu))
[I'm not too sure about this name, which I based on the greek 'helios'='sun', but it
was the best I could come up with. Ideas for alternative names are welcome.]
The greater demon of Alluminas, Heliaphim (singular form Heliaph, also mistakenly
called Light Elementals) have been seen by very few individuals. Appearing at first
as a pin-prick of light, everything which is in contact with that point of light stops
changing. For plants, they stop moving, the wind keeps the same direction and speed.
The pin-prick appears to grow as everything which stops changing starts giving off
light. Intelligent creatures, or those still around, must make a WP test, to do
anything. If after one round, the intelligent creature does not act at least once,
they are frozen, and become part of the unchanging light.
Being overcome by the light has the following effects. Any chaos attributes are
gone. Not healed, just gone. This usually leaves chaos creatures with lots of open
wounds. No action may be performed while overcome. One may watch, but cannot move
their eyes. Magic wielding PCs or NPCs may 'battle' with the Heliaph, which requires
a WP vs WP test. (Whoever succeeds by the largest amount wins. A tie is redone)
Three successes in a row must be scored, to "force" change on the demon, which dispels
it. This has never been done, to anyone's knowledge, but magical theorists swear it
works theoretically.
When the demon leaves, those left must make a WP test to move. If they fail they
can't move and may try again 2D12 hours later. They do not need food or water while
they can't move, but also can't stop others from robbing them.
The main characteristic of a Heliaph is that it doesn't change. No matter what, even
if a character hit it, it wouldn't change. The only stat that the Demon needs is WP
100.